TWIC Card for Truck Drivers: Who Needs One, Cost and How to Apply
Who needs a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, what TSA charges, how enrollment works, which crimes disqualify and when card readers arrive at terminals.
A TWIC card, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, is a TSA-issued ID required for unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities and vessels regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act. As of November 2026, a new card costs $125.25, online renewal costs $117.25, and the card is valid for five years.
Drayage drivers need it to pull containers at most marine terminals. Fees here come from TSA’s most recent fee notice in the Federal Register, effective November 3, 2022.
Who needs a TWIC card?
Anyone who needs unescorted access to secure areas of a regulated port facility, vessel or outer continental shelf facility must hold a TWIC under 33 CFR 101.514. In trucking that mainly means:
- Port drayage drivers who enter marine terminals to pick up or return containers.
- Drivers delivering to or loading at regulated facilities, such as some petroleum and chemical terminals on the water.
- Most mariners holding Coast Guard credentials.
A driver without a TWIC must be escorted inside secure areas, and most container terminals do not provide escorts for trucks. Off-dock rail ramps and warehouses usually do not require one. How terminal visits work is covered in how port drayage works.
How much does a TWIC card cost?
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| New enrollment | $125.25 |
| Renewal in person | $125.25 |
| Renewal online (if eligible) | $117.25 |
| Reduced fee with a comparable threat assessment, such as a hazmat endorsement or FAST card | $93.00 |
| Replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged card | $60.00 |
Fees are not refunded if the application is denied. A card bought at the reduced fee expires with the hazmat endorsement or five years after the FAST card was issued, not five years from the TWIC’s own date. Fees are set by Federal Register notice; check the TSA TWIC page before enrolling.
How do you apply for a TWIC card?
TSA runs enrollment through its contractor network, TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA, also called Universal Enrollment Services.
- Pre-enroll online through the TSA TWIC page and pick an enrollment center.
- Visit the center with identity and, if needed, immigration documents. Staff take fingerprints and a photo and collect the fee.
- TSA runs a security threat assessment: criminal history, immigration status and terrorism checks.
- Track the application on the enrollment service’s status page or by phone at 1-855-347-8371.
- Receive the card once approved.
TSA’s page in November 2026 recommends enrolling at least 60 days before you need the card, including renewals, and says processing for some applicants may take more than 45 days. A drayage carrier hiring new drivers should build that wait into onboarding.
Which crimes disqualify you from a TWIC?
The list is in 49 CFR 1572.103. Permanent disqualifiers include espionage, sedition, treason, terrorism, a crime involving a transportation security incident, improper transportation of hazardous materials, unlawful explosives offenses, murder, bomb threats, and related conspiracy or attempt.
Interim disqualifiers apply for seven years after conviction or five years after release from prison, whichever is later. They include felony weapons offenses, extortion, fraud and dishonesty, bribery, smuggling, immigration violations, drug distribution or importation, arson, kidnapping, rape, assault with intent to kill and robbery. An applicant who is wanted or under indictment for a listed felony is disqualified until the warrant is released or the charge is dismissed.
A denial is not always final. An applicant can appeal if TSA’s records are wrong, and can ask for a waiver of many disqualifying offenses by showing rehabilitation, under 49 CFR Part 1515. Some of the same offenses affect the hazmat endorsement; see CDL endorsements and restrictions.
How do renewal and replacement work?
Renew before the card expires; an expired TWIC does not get you through the gate. Eligible holders can renew online at the lower fee, using the fingerprints and photo from their original enrollment. A lost, stolen or damaged card is replaced for $60. TSA keeps a canceled card list that facilities use to reject cards reported lost or revoked, so a found card that was reported lost will not work.
Do terminals use TWIC card readers?
Some do, but the federal reader requirement is not fully in force. The Coast Guard’s 2016 TWIC reader rule was delayed by Congress and then by a final rule published October 31, 2024, which pushed the implementation date for certain facilities to May 8, 2029. The delay does not apply to facilities that receive vessels certificated to carry more than 1,000 passengers. Until then, many terminals check the card visually, while others scan it at the gate by their own choice.
Bottom line
The $125 fee is the small part; the waiting time is what costs drayage carriers money. Start the application two months before a new driver’s first port load, and keep a list of expiration dates so renewals go in early, ideally online at the lower fee.
FAQ
How long is a TWIC card good for?
Five years from issuance, unless it was bought at the reduced fee, in which case it expires with the hazmat endorsement or FAST card that qualified you.
Can a non-citizen get a TWIC card?
Yes, if in an eligible immigration category. TSA says U.S. citizens and immigrants in certain categories may apply, and status is checked during the threat assessment.
Do I need a TWIC card to drive a truck?
No. A TWIC is needed only for unescorted access to secure areas of regulated ports and vessels. Most trucking jobs that never enter a marine terminal do not require one.
Does a TWIC card get me TSA PreCheck?
TSA has allowed active TWIC holders to use their credential for TSA PreCheck since 2020. Check TSA’s current instructions for how to add your number to airline reservations.
